


Variation on the Petal Thing

by mage_cat



Series: Home, not Homeworld [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Background Amedot, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 08:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5326877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mage_cat/pseuds/mage_cat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Peridot officially joins the Crystal Gems, Pearl takes on the job of teaching her weapon summoning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Variation on the Petal Thing

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after "Nocturne in Purple and Green," but it shouldn't be necessary to read that fic to understand this one.
> 
> Also, there was no way to make this story work without a lot of headcanon. Enjoy the speculation.

“Why is it that Amethyst cannot be the one to teach me?”

Pearl fought what was really only a small urge to sigh as she leaned against a tree outside of Greg's family barn. She knew Peridot wasn't asking because she doubted Pearl's expertise. Truth to tell, the question was the closest to argumentative she had been since the matter of the Cluster had been resolved. Much of what had remained of Pearl's ill-feeling toward the little technician had faltered when Peridot pled her case for wanting to remain with the Crystal Gems afterwards, as a real member, “I cannot go back. I didn't just fail my mission. I actively sabotaged it. What's going to happen if I formally defect? Yellow Diamond is going to have me smashed into _smaller_ shards than she would have otherwise?”

That had, indeed, sounded to Pearl like the Citrine that Rose had spoken so bitterly about as the Rebellion had continued through its ten centuries. Peridot couldn't even be sure that turning over Rose Quartz's hybrid son would save her from what Yellow Diamond considered to be just retribution for a flaw in a subordinate Gem's loyalty to her. It wasn't like Peridot would be the first Crystal Gem to join because she felt that her Diamond had forced her hand. If Garnet had been less sure, it was, strangely enough, the Temple that had decided the matter for them.

They could argue about Peridot's intents and motives. They couldn't argue with the green stone that now sat at the bottommost obtuse angle of the star on the Temple door or the room it opened to in response to Peridot. With its rocky walls and floor in more shades and tints of olive-green than Pearl had properly realized existed and its starscape ceiling, Peridot said the room reminded her of the Kindergarten she had been created in, part of an olivine-rich asteroid belt orbiting a white dwarf star.

When the Temple had first been built, its Heart had been one of the most advanced crystalline processing units ever created, designed to mold the pocket dimension to the needs of its inhabitants with minimal manual input. If the Temple thought Peridot belonged there, she did.

No, Pearl was quite sure Peridot's question had far more to do with the way she and Amethyst kept looking at each other when they thought no one else was paying attention. Peridot wasn't the first Crystal Gem to stick around for _that_ reason either. Pearl pulled herself back to the matter at hand, helping Peridot learn the offensive abilities of her gem. “Amethyst volunteered, but Garnet thinks you'll make faster progress if I'm the one to do it, and I think she has a point.”

“Why is that?”

“Because, frankly, weapon summoning comes too easily to Amethyst for her to actually be able explain it. You and I have to put thought into it that she never has to.” Also, Pearl doubted Amethyst's ability to stay focused on the lesson if the two of them were granted that sort of privacy.

Peridot smirked a bit, “You know, I think that might be the nicest thing I've ever heard you say about Amethyst.”

“Oh come now, I'm not that hard on her. I just… wish she put more thought into things.”

“You just said she does not have to put thought into things in order to be effective.” As she caught a shift in Pearl's expression, Peridot's smirk widened. “That's what bothers you isn't it? You envy a quartz's natural fighting skill.”

“Don't be ridiculous. I am every bit as good in a fight as she is, frequently better.”

“But only because you work at it.”

“Which I happen to enjoy!” Pearl snapped. “There's a great deal of satisfaction in improving my skills, and in reflecting on a battle well-fought. Don't pretend you don't understand that, or you wouldn't be here.”

“I am simply seeking to understand the underlying relationship dynamics at play in this team” Peridot replied with exaggerated casualness. “I am late to the party after all.” She was fairly certain she used that idiom correctly. “I have catching up to do. Amethyst really is quite talented. Even at her reduced size, she has standard quartz strength. She is highly proficient with her whip. She may be the best shape-shifter I have ever seen...”

“Fine! I admit it. It's annoying. I love Amethyst. Really. I do. But you don't live with someone for 5,000 years without occasionally finding them annoying.” This time Pearl did sigh. It was nice to say it out loud. “Rose always knew how to smooth things over between us. We've always argued, but this past year was the first time we've actually fought each other. Not counting sparring, of course.”

The teasing tone left Peridot's voice. “I never fought anyone at all before I came to this planet. I mean, I wasn't allowed any weapons, and while my limb enhancers had a variety of functions, they made hand-to-hand fighting basically impossible.”

“What about that blaster you used on us?” asked Pearl.

“I already told Amethyst, it is a little surprising that she didn't pass it on to you, but that wasn't something my arm attachment was actually designed to do. I rigged it up after I ended up stranded here minus my escort.” Peridot gave a genuine smile at the memory, not of fighting the Crystal Gems, but of the fact that she held her own for so long. “Besides, back home I spent most of my time with other technician-class Gems. We don't settle disagreements through combat.”

“Let me guess. You make snide comments, spread rumors about each other, and if you really hate someone, you sabotage a project so it goes horribly wrong right when a superior is observing.”

“How did you...”

“That's what Pearls do when they have to work closely. Or at least we did in my day, and I doubt that's changed. There's something about small, but highly personal stakes that turns Gems remarkably petty.”

“It never seemed petty at the time. It felt like I was fighting for my life. If you show weakness, it's just a matter of time before you end up Harvested.”

“The Three Diamonds want their subordinates petty, so they turn small stakes into big ones. As long as the everyone is fighting each other for their Diamond's approval, they're not questioning the system that keeps the Diamonds in power.”

“The Diamonds are in power because they're powerful.” To Peridot, that was a simple fact.

“The Diamonds are big and strong and intelligent,” Pearl acknowledged, “but they are not more so than the rest of Gemkind put together. At least that's what Rose always said.”

“Yellow Diamond kept me weak, so I would be a more effective tool.” The realization was losing its sting and becoming a mantra, something Peridot repeated to herself when she realized she was missing her old life. The comforting certainty of knowing the rules she was expected to follow lost its charm when she forced herself to remember the purpose behind those rules.

“And I'm sure did a very effective job making you feel like it was your fault. Let's work on fixing that. Now, watch.” She plucked a dandelion from the ground and blew on it, dispersing the seed-head, “Observe these seeds. As they move, their dance seems random, but it is actually based on a precise and delicate balance of this planet’s wind currents, gravity, and other physical properties. With hard work and dedication, you can master the magical properties of your gem and perform your own dance.”

This got a blank look from Peridot. “Pearl, with all due respect, my language sub-matrix is still adjusting to this planet. Can I get that with less metaphor?”

Pearl huffed. She was sure someday someone would understand her petal analogy. She considered how to break it down. “Whatever weapon you summon will be unique to you. Drawing it out requires a precise manipulation of the energies within your gem. Certain circumstances can make it easier. These will also be unique to you. What is most important is to not get frustrated. Ultimately, the key to making it seem easy is practice and a great deal of it.”

“I think I understand.” Peridot closed her eyes, sat cross-legged with her back against the tree, and considered the internal structure of her gem. Having worked in Kindergartens meant that she had a clearer image of that than most Gems did. Her duty was the maintenance of the machines, not the care of the newly emerged, but she had to know enough about gemetics to understand the Celestines' reports and figure out possible problem areas.

There were three primary matrices: logic, personality, and corporeality. Each had a variety of sub-matrices, some more malleable than others. Weapon-summoning was clearly a matter of generating mass, so it would have to be part of the corporeality matrix, the matrix Peridot had hardly ever spared a thought for. She had to admire the trick Yellow Diamond had pulled on her and her fellow technicians. Their limb enhancers had neatly taken what Peridot now realized were standard manipulations of the corporeality matrix and shifted those tasks to the logic matrix, since activating the functions were a case of controlling already existing matter rather than creating new mass or varying the Gem's own projection. The types of Gems who were outfitted with limb enhancers were ones who already designed with a strong logic matrix. In this way, their circumstances were clearly, from her new, outside perspective, designed to deepen their specializations and lock them more firmly into their roles.

Well, on Earth such rules were made to be broken, and that thought didn't terrify Peridot the way it once did. Her gem tingled a bit as she probed the matrix. If this was also the technique for figuring out shape-shifting, it might not be as hard as she thought, but that couldn't be her focus right now. It was impossible for Peridot to say how long she had been at it when she found something that caused a feeling of pressure within her gem.

Automatically, she brought her hand to her forehead to shift her visor down. Once she did, even though it was the exact effect that she had been working towards, she was still surprised to find something sticking out of her gem. She grabbed it, pulled, and resettled her visor into place. She took a moment to add making her visor less tall to her list of things to change the next time she regenerated, right after getting rid of every trace of Yellow Diamond's emblem, before she opened her eyes to examine what she had created.

It was bright green and nearly as long as her arm, bent in the middle and tapered at both ends, each one of those points sporting a yellow star. It didn't feel heavy or light in her hands. It just felt like it belonged there.

“A boomerang!” Pearl exclaimed. “A ranged throwing weapon requiring far more precision than strength to be of best use.” The taller Gem smiled. “It suits you. Just like it should. And I have to say, I honestly thought it would take another session or two before you managed it. Now that we know what it is, we can set up training exercises so you can practice.”

Peridot didn't look up. She just let Pearl's information sink in as she tested her grip and felt the balance of her weapon. _Her_ weapon. She couldn't help but give a small smile at the impossibility and the reality of it.

“Do you want to carry it back to the Temple to show the others?” Pearl asked.

Peridot stood as she dismissed the boomerang, “No, it will be there when I need it."


End file.
